


Que Sera, Sera

by heffermonkey



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Mpreg, Slash, Spring Fling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:32:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/802915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heffermonkey/pseuds/heffermonkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny Williams has decided to be a surrogate within the governments new Paternal Programme.  Steve McGarrett has decided he wants his life to consist of more than work and his career.  Unexpectedly the two are thrown together via a mix up at the insemination clinic.  Let the fun commence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> written for the McDanno Spring Fling 2013 @ LJ for the prompt - 
> 
> Surrogate Danny gets accidentally inseminated with Steve's sperm even though Steve specifically asked for a female surrogate. By the time they realize about the mix up, Danny is already pregnant. Throw in meddling friends and family too.

"You're throwing your career away to have a baby!" Mary exclaimed down the phone.

Steve McGarrett winced and held the receiver away from himself for a moment, taking in a breath before holding it against his ear again. He thought it ironic that Mary of all people was lecturing him on careers versus babies. She had never had a 'career' in her life and despite being thirty years old, had never settled into any notably decent job worth talking about.

"I'm not 'throwing away my career' Mare," Steve said in reply. He hadn't been expecting this reaction from his little sister. He'd been hoping for some moral support.

The only people so far to show any positive outlook on his decision were his superiors when he'd decided to go ahead with his plans.

"This isn't something I just suddenly woke up and decided I wanted to do," Steve continued, hearing her dissapproving sigh. "I've been planning this for months now, getting my life in order so that I can do this."

"You realize with a kid, your life won't be in any order, right?" Mary threw in blithely. Steve smirked, there really was no pleasing his sister at times. "And what do you mean months? You only thought to mention this now to me?"

"It was a decision I needed to make for myself," Steve replied with a smile. He leaned back against the car and looked out over the ocean. "I haven't mentioned this to anyone until now, you're one of the first people I'm officially informing. Why can't you be happy for me? You're going to be an aunt."

"And who is _having_ this baby Steve?" Mary said, dismissing his attempt at deflecting her irritation. "You haven't had a serious relationship in your entire life. You can't just start dating a woman and decide after a couple of months to have a kid."

"I'm doing this alone Mare, as part of the Paternal Programme, " Steve that part quickly, preparing himself for the outburst surely to come.

"You're what!"

~

Danny Williams sat in one of the vacant seats of the clinics reception area and flipped through a parenting magazine. The usual articles ranging from the best way to nurse a baby, how to deal with the tantrums, kids testing their boundaries all leapt out at him from each page. He sighed and closed it, tossing it back down on the pile with the others. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that side of things this time. He loved his daughter, Grace, to bits but he wasn't keen on being a father to another child. He already envisioned more years ahead of Grace's teenage years giving him enough to deal with without another child to raise.

But having a baby for other people, that wasn't a problem. He hadn't minded pregnancy the first time around and after he'd become a parent, he'd discovered this whole new part of life people didn't even know existed. A satisfaction, a purpose and fulfilment in being responsible for another life. His sister, Isobel, and her husband who had had to use a surrogate because Isobel was unable to have kids herself and Danny knew how grateful she'd been to that other person for giving her a chance to show what a wonderful mother she was. It had been Izzy who had suggested he be a surrogate, albeit as a joke. But the idea had taken root in Danny's mind and over time he'd given it more and more thought, researching and doing his homework until he was sure it was something he knew he could do.

His family, on the most part, had been supportive. Izzy was thrilled, his brother Matthew thought he was crazy to go through it all again. 'Remember how much your feet swelled bro? It was like you were walking around on life preservers', Matty had said over the phone. If he hadn't of been thousands of miles away, safely at home in New Jersey, Danny would have punched him in the arm.

He'd been in New Jersey when he'd had Grace, then fought an ugly battle in court with his ex, Rachel, over custody rights. He may have given birth to her, but the court still leaned as usual in favor of the mother and Rachel could afford better lawyers. Part custody it was, Rachel reaping all the benefits, Danny had been left flailing on the sidelines. Then to make matters worse, Rachel had upped and married Stan Edwards and moved to Hawaii. After the bitter custody battle, Danny's dwindling funds limited how much he could fight and he gave in in the end, deciding instead to move to Hawaii where he threw himself into his work as a detective, snatching moments of time with his daughter when he could. His parents were happy but concerned about his decision to be a surrogate. He was without his family in Hawaii and being pregnant was tough. His mom didn't want him to go through it alone and his dad was concerned for his career. "I can have a baby and go back to being a detective pop, people do it all the time," Danny has assured him.

It was actually some of the other people he worked with that had finally swayed him into the surrogate program. The new Governor was keen to promote the new Paternal Programme's rolling out over the country, to encourage and promote the idea of fatherhood and giving men a fair chance to be the single dad, be it a stay at home pop or career juggling father. Danny was all for giving men a fair chance, especially after the custody battle over Grace had gone so sourly for him. He'd carried her for nine months, went through an eighteen hour ordeal of labor before she arrived and suddenly, eight years later, had found himself on a court ordered schedule of when he could see her. The system was screwed up, but it was slowly changing and if he could be part of that change then so be it.

"Mr Williams," a voice cut through his thoughts and he glanced up at a young male nurse who smiled patiently at him. "If you'd like to come through."


	2. Chapter 2

_Nine weeks later_

Steve sat down on the lumpy sofa of the doctor's office and checked his watch. He hadn't been able to gain much information on why they'd ask him to come in for an appointment. Part of him was anxious, he'd received the news that Leilei was pregnant a few weeks before, but he remembered the warnings he'd heard over and over, that the first months were a cautious, uncertain time in pregancy. Had something happened? Something they wouldn't want to say over the phone?

He looked around, there were other people waiting to see doctors so he hunched down in his chair and waited impatiently for his name to be called.

"Mr McGarrett."

He looked up, seeing giving him a smile and he stood up.

"Come on through Steve," she said with a wave of her hand. He walked towards her towards her office as she glanced down at the file in her hand. "And uh, Mr Williams."

Steve paused and frowned at her before looking behind him, seeing a man, blonde, blue eyes, stocky build stand up and give a frown of his own as he approached the doctor.

"If you two would both take a seat," Doctor Malia --- said, closing the door behind them. "There's an urgent matter we need to discuss."

Steve took a seat in front of her desk, giving the other man, Williams, a glance again. Danny looked right back at him before turning his attention to the Doctor. She sat, pulled her chair forward and clasped her hands together, resting them on the desk.

"I'm afraid what I have to tell you isn't going to be easy to hear," She said gravely.

"Is there something wrong with the baby?" Danny interrupted. He'd been for some early scans but nobody had mentioned any complications. He went to ask more questions before he paused, looking at Steve again. Who was he and why was he in on this meeting anyway? Was he another surrogate?

"Oh no, nothing like that Mr Williams I assure you," The doctor said, giving him a comforting smile before looking grim again.

"Is there something wrong with _my_ baby?" Steve asked, leaning forward with concern.

"Uh, no," the doctor said shaking her head, looking from him, to Danny, to Steve again. "No. I, well, I don't know where to start with this-."

She paused and glanced at both men, wondering why she'd drawn the short straw on breaking this news.

"Uh, Steve McGarrett, this is Danny Williams," she said, deciding to start there before blurting out the problem. "Your surrogate."

"Hi," Steve said as she introduced them to one another, before he sat back and frowned, turning to look at her. "Wait, what?"

~

When the two men finally left her office, Malia sank down in her chair, put her head in her hands and wondered if her career as a doctor would still be intact tomorrow as this major 'Fuck Up' played out.

To give them credit, McGarrett and Williams had kept their cools. Danny had taken it easier than Steve, after all for Danny, as long as the baby was healthy, he didn't mind who he was giving the child too. There was a strict screening process on both surrogates and parents within the program. Just a shame the labs slipped up on their end before this monumental fuck up had occurred.

Steve had of course gone through a stream of emotions, anger, hurt, confusion, denial, more anger, more confusion. He'd ranted and Danny had sat back and watched him play out each one before Steve had calmed enough to talk it over properly. In fact it had been Danny who'd been the calming presence in the room. Mailia had pointed out the few options Steve had, termination IF Danny agreed or let the pregnancy go ahead and the baby would go up for adoption or Steve could keep the child. She'd seen the disgust in Steve's face at the notion, but it would have been wrong of her not to lay the options out on the table. Danny had actually reached out and put a steady hand on the mans shoulder to assure him it wasn't an option he'd agree with either. So it had been mutually agreed the pregnancy would play out, with Danny as the new surrogate and Steve keeping the baby.

Malia sighed and checked the time. The other couple and surrogate would be arriving soon to hear the news. After that she could lock her door, curl up in a ball and hide under her desk and wonder yet again how the fuck up had happened. It was the stuff of movie plots or really bad television shows. Not real life. 

This kind of fuck up didn't happen in real life.


	3. Chapter 3

Danny closed the door to his apartment, slid the locks into place, walked to his sofa and lay down. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep away the last few hours. What a nightmare. He rested his hands on his stomach which, for now, was still flat (mostly). A life was growing inside him and already causing his or her father chaos and havoc. 

Welcome to the world of parenting, Steven McGarrett.

Danny cast his mind back before the insemination. He'd read through files of people who wanted a surrogate. He had as much right to choose the couple or parent as they had to select him. He didn't recall seeing Steve's file, though there'd been a lot of single fathers as well as married couples hoping to start a family.

He'd tried talking to Steve outside of the clinic but Steve had seemed jittery, unnerved and Danny couldn't blame the guy for reeling after the curve ball he'd been thrown. They'd exchanged numbers at least, because they were going ahead with this surrogacy despite it not starting off the way either of them had wanted or expected. Then McGarrett had received a phone call that seemed important, he'd hurriedly promised to call when he had a chance before he scarpered off to his truck, phone glued to his ear.

Danny had went for a drive along the coast before heading home, hoping to clear his head. As he lay out on the couch, he knew he needed to call Lee and Cal. Malia had asked them both to wait so she could explain it to the couple and the other surrogate about the mix up. But how long should he wait before he talked to them?

~

Steve slunk into the house, dropped the six pack of beers onto the coffee table and sunk down to sit heavily in his recliner. He stared at the six pack, then the keys in his hands before reclining back and sighing. What had just happened today? How did something like this happen? Was it even possible? He knew there were male surrogates in the program, but he'd opted for a female because he'd liked her file and she'd liked his. He hadn't even come accross Danny Williams' file, so he had no idea at all about the man. 

Malia had promised they could go to the insemination clinic the next day and retrieve any information they needed about the parent & surrogate they now had, or they could simply talk to one another which would make sense. After all Williams was going to be carrying and giving birth to his baby. He was stuck with the guy indefinitely.

Steve just hoped he wasn't a jackass.

~

"Do you know the shaved ice parlour near the old boardwalk, Kamekona's?" Danny suggested when Steve had finally called in the early hours of the evening. "How about we meet there in the morning, talk face to face about this."

"Yeah I know it," Steve replied. He still hadn't come to terms with this situation, but he knew they could only plow forward with the outcome. "Shall we say, 10 o'clock?"

"Perfect," Danny agreed, "I'll meet you there."

The next day Danny arrived first, having had a bad night. Maybe it was the stress of this whole business mixed with his changing hormones and sickness he was currently dealing with. He'd tossed and turned before conceding defeat around six am and getting out of his comfortable bed to potter around the apartment.

He perused the menu as he waited for Steve, checking his watch, it was only a few minutes before ten. Kamekona was wiping down the counter and talking to him about something but Danny wasn't listening. Something about the shaved ice industry and going places. Danny raised a brow at him grimly, his reason for knowing Kamekona wasn't because he was a regular visitor to the shave ice parlour. It was because he was an informant for HPD and Danny had used him on occasion to garner information he needed for a case.

"You ordering or just loitering round my parlour brah?" Kamekona questioned with a frown. "You make it look bad for business if'n you don't buy nothing."

"Give me a coffee," Danny sighed, pushing the menu aside. He looked around and watched a black pick up pull into the driveway. Steve was right on time and Danny watched him get out of the truck and walk over with a steady, determined stride. Danny liked to think he could read people well and he tried to figure the man out. Again, Steve had his phone glued to his ear, so either his job was very demanding or he just liked to talk a lot.

Steve joined him at the counter, giving him a nod before he ended the call with a 'I'll be there as soon as I can'. 

"Hi," Danny said to him, wavign towards Kamekona. "You want anything?"

"Just a coffee, thanks," Steve said, nodding again.

"There you go brah, just how you like it," Kamekona said, setting a steaming mug of black coffee on the counter in front of Steve. Danny frowned when he was presented with a mug of murky looking water with bits floating around in it.

"What's this? I ordered a coffee," Danny said as Kamekona picked up the ten dollar bill he'd set down to pay for the drinks. 

Kamekona gave him a stern look and shook his head. "You're pregnant, coffees not good for you. This is a family recipe my auntie gave me. Good for you, good for the baby and it'll help with the sickness you've been having. You look whiter than white, even for a haole."

Danny saw Steve smirk from the corner of his eye and glared at the two of them before he leaned down and sniffed suspiciously at the cup. It smelled like the mysterious concoction it was, mint maybe, as well as honey, chamomile perhaps. When he was pregnant with Grace, Rachel had tried him on herbal teas, he'd given up after a week of suffering. Pregnancy did enough to his body without adding to his troubles.

"I'm not drinking that," Danny said standing straight and shaking his head.

"Just try it brah, I promise it's good stuff, trust me," Kamkekona encouraged, handing him his change. Danny noticed he'd at least only charged him for the coffee, no charge for being the guinea pig of aunties old morning sickness remedy.

Reluctantly he picked up the cup and he and Steve moved off to a bench in front of the shack.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve sat opposite Danny and set down his paper cup, looking Danny over again. He was curious about the guy obviously and still had worries about the kind of person he was. He had Kono running intel on him as they had coffee, if there was anything suspicious to find on the man, she'd call ASAP. He'd be going to the clinic at some point to get his file, but there was no harm in getting a head start.

"So," Danny said, taking a sip of the cocoction Kamekona had given him and giving a small grimace before setting it down again.

"That bad huh?" Steve said, trying to stay calm and adult about this whole situation.

"It's not good," Danny said with a small shake of his head. "But I've had worse. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, apparently there are remedies for morning sickness, but I didn't discover any the first time round so I'm not holding out hope for this time round either."

"You've done this before?" Steve asked in surprise, leaning on the table.

"Not as a surrogate," Danny replied with a shake of his head, a smile appearing on his lips. "I've got a daughter, Grace. She's ten. You got any other kids?"

"No," Steve said shaking his head quickly. "No I never - well, I guess there wasn't a good time before."

"You seem like a busy kind of guy," Danny said with a nod.

Steve got on the defensive, sitting back a little and frowning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Danny held up his hands and laughed, "Don't get so defensive man. It's just an observation."

"What are you, a Hardy boy?" Steve shot back, relaxing again. He had a feeling Danny was the kind of person who knew what buttons to press to get a rise out of people and he obviously took some pleasure in seeing him riled up a little.

"No," Danny smirked and gave a small laugh. He played with the lip of the paper cup with his fingertips. "Soon to be detective on paternity leave though. At the moment I've been desked, but as long as no complications arise, I'll be putting in for paternity leave as soon as possible."

"You're a detective?" Steve said with slight disdain. Danny didn't seem the type. But then he seemed out of place full stop. He wore dress pants, shined shoes, a shirt and a tie for gods sake. Who wore a tie in Hawaii unless you were a politician or attending some jumped up, expensive charity dinner and the likes?

It was Danny's turn to get defensive, brow furrowing. "That so hard to believe? I can get you my file if you want. Detective Danny Williams, HPD. Transferred from New Jersey about a year and a half ago. Got plenty of commendations to prove how good I am too, not that that matters here. Guys at HPD took one look at me and gave me the same look you're giving me. What's with that? I look more like a perp to you people?"

"You're wearing a tie," Steve said, waving to the offending peice of clothing. "Who wears a tie in Hawaii?"

"Back home, it was customary to dress the part," Danny sniffed, straightening out the knot and smoothing it down. "Don't worry, once the baby starts growing, the outfits will get a little baggier. Comfort is key, especially for my feet if this pregnancy goes the same way it did with Grace. I may actually agree to wear flip flops. So what do you do?"

"I'm Navy, SEAL's to be precise," Steve replied, pride evident in his voice. "But I recently transferred out at the Governor's personal request. Jameson has requested I set up a task force to start cleaning up the Island."

Danny nodded with a surprised look in his eyes. "I heard about that, I mean about the new task force. Why you, if you don't mind me asking."

"You hear about the John McGarrett murder?" Steve asked, eyes suddenly losing a bit of their light.

Danny shifted and nodded, suddenly the pieces falling into place. In the confusion and chaos of finding out the mix up in the insemination, the pregnancy going crazy on his body physically and emotionally, he hadn't put two and two together. His ex-partner Meka, who he'd been working with up until he'd been desked, was working the McGarrett case. Or had been, until it had been inexplicably taken away from him.

"Yeah I know about it," Danny nodded. "I was running some data background, gathering intel for my old partner who was working the case until it was taken off him. He didn't exactly explain why. That was you wasn't it?"

"Yeah, the man who murdered my dad is Victor Hesse. Let's just say we have a history," Steve replied with a small nod before he swallowed down some coffee.

"So wait, lets back track here," Danny said hurriedly, brain suddenly bombarded with questions. "You are a Navy SEAL, whose just been given a go ahead to start up some personal task force for the Governor of Hawaii. And somewhere in-between you decided you wanted to be a dad and joined the Paternal Programme as well?"

"Actually I was in the process of transferring out of the SEAL's," Steve explained. "Because I wanted to do something fullfilling in my life for me, not just for my country. I was planning on maybe going into the private sector, security or something as well as joining the Paternal Program. Things just got messed up with my dads murder, so I decided to get the task force set up, with people I trust and can rely on so that when the baby comes, I can leave the team safely under someone elses care while I take paternity leave myself. This little problem we have is just another cog thrown into the works."

"Yeah, about that," Danny said grimly. "I know I'm not the person you chose to have your kid, I'm sorrry."

"Not your fault," Steve said with a shake of his head. "You didn't agree on me either. But fact is we're stuck with each other now, just promise me you're not a crazy person who is, I dunno, a closet hippy or something."

"'Closet Hippy'?" Danny said before laughing, "Yeah babe, I go all out at weekends. Go walking into the jungle buck naked to be closer to all the nature of the Island."

"You know what I mean," Steve said with a small smile.

"I'm not a nutcase Steve," Danny said with a shake of his head. "anyway, I could say the same thing about you. Now I have no idea about the person whose baby I'm carrying, that's more than unsettling"

"I guess it's going to take time to figure each other out," Steve laughed himself before he turned serious, " That is. Well, I don't know how much involvement you're willing to give. Every surrogate seems to be different and there don't seem to be any rules aside from the minimum of a weekly call."

"I left the decision up to Cal and Lee, so I'll do the same with you," Danny shrugged in reply. "As long as you don't try and interfere too much in how I deal with the pregnancy then you can be involved as much or as little as you like. Come to the scans, don't come, go to prenatal classes or don't. But don't make promises you will come and then not show up, anything but that. I can do this on my own until the baby is born if I have to."

"I want to be involved every step of the way," Steve said honestly. "As much as I can anyway. I can't promise I'll not miss one or two appointments though, what with the task force and everything. The Governor has me on speed dial I'm sure."

"Well at least you're honest about it," Danny nodded. "Look I'll keep you updated on the schedule of what appointments I've got planned. Let me know the ones you'll definitely be at, if I can rely on you being at least part of the time it's better than nothing."

"What about beyond doctor appointments and prenatal classes?" Steve asked carefully, unsure how to ask about how involved he could get in other ways.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked with a frown, sipping at his tea which he had to admit wasn't too bad once he got used to the taste. And it did seem to be settling his stomach and giving him some energy.

"Well, outside of those," Steve shrugged shyly. "Like on a more social level. I've heard you can bond with the baby while it's still in the womb, like talking to them and playing music. How do I get to do that?"

"I guess we get to know each other better," Danny grinned. "This is your baby Steve, the more involved you are the better it will be, so I won't discourage you from making that effort. I will remind you that I do have a social life though, other than being a baby incubator for you, so I may not be available twenty four seven for your 'womb attendance' dates."

"'Womb Attendance Dates'?" Steve repeated, raising a brow before giving a small shake of his head. "You sure you aren't just a little weird?"

Danny laughed and picked up his cup again, deciding it was better not to answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Danny sat in the doctors office and glared at the door, before glaring at his watch and then glaring at the magazine in his hands. Steve had promised, several times, that he'd be here for this particular scan. The scan that would tell him what sex the baby was. He'd been going on about it for days now, excited about finding out so he could plan the nursery. And where was he?

Danny sighed and got out his phone to check he hadn't gotten a message, hearing the receptionist clicking her tongue at him and glancing at the 'no cell usage' sign hanging on the wall. "Yeah, yeah," he murmured, putting the phone away in his pocket. No message, no missed call.

The door flew open and a very stressed, very 'dirty' Steve McGarrett ran through the door and crossed over to him, sinking into a chair as he caught his breath.

"Fuck, I'm sorry Danny," Steve gasped out between breaths. "Got - caught up - murder case - killer got a little trigger happy. Phew."

Steve sat back, stretched out his legs and looked pleased with himself. Danny just stared at him open mouthed before shaking his head and rolling his eyes, sitting back himself, purposefully turning the pages of the magazine he held with pent up anger.

"You're mad at me," Steve said, slowly sitting up. "For being late. I'm here aren't I?"

"Mr Williams," a nurse interrupted. "Come on through and we can get you ready."

Danny thrust the magazine into Steve's hands and stood up. "That's not why I'm mad."

He marched off before Steve could ask what had him so upset. By the time he'd donned the white overall provided and up on the bed he'd calmed down only slightly. The nurse let Steve in so they could wait for the doctor together and Steve sheepishly approached the bed.

"Everything okay?" Steve asked and Danny huffed out a sigh, giving a nod. 

"Fine," Danny replied. He had complaints but he knew he had no right to tell Steve how to live his life.

"Danny," Steve began, putting a hand over his where it lay on the bed. Thankfully the doctor interrupted before he could continue and they both smiled in relief at his arrival.

The scan was straight forward as any, revealing nothing but a healthy result, everything going as planned, the baby was forming and developing well.

"And you want to know the sex, is that correct Mr McGarrett?" The doctor asked, glancing over at him with a secretive smile.

Danny smiled himself, remembering when he and Rachel had waited to find out if they were having a boy or girl. Steve's hand was by his now and he in turn put his hand over Steve's, giving a friendly squeeze.

"Yeah, yes," Steve said quickly with a nod. He looked a little spooked and Danny had begun to realise for all that Steve was a pretty competent guy with a good head on his shoulders, becoming a father was overwhelming for him. And with that came all the complications of being totally in over your head and equally quite certain you were never going to be any good as a parent. He'd been carefully deflecting those feelings whenever he could to reinforce the fact to Steve that he'd be as good a father as he determined himself to be. If he set himself up to fail, then he'd fail.

"It's a girl," The doctor said with a grin, looking at the monitor again. "Congratulations."

"A girl," Steve repeated, a little dazed. "She's a - it's a girl?"

Danny gave a small laugh and squeezed his hand again as Steve blinked and looked at him with a god honest genuine smile on his face.

"Congrats buddy," Danny said to him.

"Everything is perfectly healthy and normal, for both baby and you Mr Williams," the doctor said, pulling away the scanning probe and turning off the monitor. "Is there anything you wanted to talk about or ask? Either of you."

"No, everything is great doc, going pretty much like last time," Danny affirmed with a smile.

"Yeah, I um," Steve nodded, still looking surprised. "I, no."

"Forgive him," Danny snorted, patting Steve on the arm as he sat up, wiping away jelly from his stomach with a towel the doctor had handed him. "He doesn't function well when his brain overloads. He'll be okay in a couple of hours when the news has sunk in."

The doctor gave a laugh, having seen many parents, mothers and fathers, with similar reactions to finding out the sex of the baby. It was as if the brain was suddenly computing that the baby was indeed real, would soon be born and change their lives into completely different existences. Steve could probably no envision the future with a daughter growing up way too fast to be acceptable and equally all the problems that came with daughters.

"I'll let you get dressed," he told Danny.

~

Steve pulled into his driveway and got out of his truck, Danny pulling in behind him. If Steve was honest he was still floating a little on the news and had already called Mary to inform her she was going to be an aunt to a little niece. Mary had been happy enough, though she still managed a snide comment or two about his making this life choice of becoming a dad. But he hadn't let that dent his happiness at the news.

If he was honest he wasn't sure how to take it that he was having a girl. It made it more real, knowing the sex. He could concentrate on names, on getting the nursery prepared, go clothes shopping. He fumbled with his key in the door lock and heard Danny laugh softly behind him.

"Didn't think a door could be so much of a challenge to a super SEAL," Danny said.

Steve took a breath, steadied his hand and managed to turn the key, opening the door and leading Danny inside.

"Thanks for coming today," Danny said to him as he followed him into the kitchen and helped himself to a juice box from the fridge. "Didn't think you were going to make it."

"Yeah, I should go change," Steve said, looking down at his clothes still stained in dirt and quite possibly a smattering of the perps blood.

"Hmm yeah," Danny agreed with a sour look.

"Hey about today, sorry I was late," Steve said apologetically. "Like I said, stuff got out of hand."

"Yeah, so you said," Danny said rather stiffly, giving a nod.

"You okay?" Steve asked, leaning on the kitchen counter. "You seem off with me? What's the problem? I apologised for being late, I told you from the start that might be the case at times."

"I'm not 'off'," Danny said quickly with a shake of his head. "I get that you'll be late on occasion, that's fine. I'm not mad because you were late."

"Then why are you mad?" Steve asked with confusion. He couldn't figure Danny out.

"You arrive at the clinic looking like, like that," Danny snapped, waving his hand at him. "Because the criminal you were after got _trigger happy_. I know what that means Steve. Means you nearly ended up riddled with holes instead of just dirt on your shirt."

"You're concerned for me?" Steve joked with a small smile. "Didn't know you cared Danny."

"This isn't something to laugh about Steve," Danny said, slamming the juice box on the counter and shaking his head at him. 

Steve looked at him in surprise, Danny gave him a final look before he turned away and stalked out of the room. Steve followed, unsure why Danny seemed so shaken up.

"What's going on Danny, I'm confused," Steve asked, following him into the living area.

"Of course you are," Danny said with a bitter laugh. "Because you don't see the problem."

"No I don't see a problem," Steve said shaking his head. "I don't understand why you're getting upset. You're concerned, that's nice of you, but don't you think you're overreacting a little. Are your hormones on overload?"

"Are my hormones on overload?" Danny repeated, making Steve regret his words. "Overreacting? You nearly got shot today. In fact over the last few weeks I'm beginning to see a pattern involving you and trigger happy perps."

"Danny," Steve started, walking over to him.

"You're going to be a father Steve," Danny said, squaring up to him. "Do you get that? Do you understand that?"

Danny grabbed his hand and pressed it to the small swell of his belly that was beginning to develop.

"This is your baby I'm carrying, your daughter. When _she_ is born, you will be her sole carer, her sole provider. She needs _you_ intact, alive and breathing for that to happen. My concern is for her and for you."

Steve stared at him and swallowed hard. He'd not heard Danny speak so passionately before or look so appealing. He'd thought Danny was attractive ever since they'd met, consequently as they'd gotten to know one another, the attraction had been growing. But he couldn't read Danny, he confused him and challenged him and he didn't want to cause problems by making advances that weren't wanted. At first he'd tried to convince himself the attraction was partly because Danny was the surrogate of his unborn child, but he knew that was a weak excuse.

"I'm sorry," he said hurriedly, pulling back quickly, stumbling over his words. "I don't, I didn't realize - I-."

"Look, I'm sorry," Danny shrugged, backing off himself and sitting down on the sofa. "I know it's tough, what you do, your job, doing what you do, it's important. I get that because I do it myself. I keep scum off the streets just to make the world a better place for my daughter."

"Yeah but I haven't been thinking like that," Steve said, sitting on the edge of his recliner.

"Like what?" Danny asked him.

"Like a father," Steve said, feeling a rush of concern.

Danny smiled over at him with sympathy, "Don't worry you will, if you stop taking so many risks and getting into so many dangerous situations. You have a team and back up for a reason you know."

"I'm so used to working with people who know the big risks I guess," Steve shrugged, clasping his hands together. "In the SEAL's, you know some missions you may not return from. You get into that mindset."

"You're adapting," Danny assured him. "Look it isn't any of my business how you live your life and what you do at work -."

"Of course it is, you said it yourself, that's my baby your carrying," Steve pointed out. "And I'm glad you said it. I need to start thinking like a parent, even if she isn't here yet."


	6. Chapter 6

"What's wrong?" Steve asked when Danny appeared at the house looking upset.

"I'm being evicted," Danny said, marching past him, waving a letter in his face. "They're knocking down the apartments where I live to build a mall or new development, or - I don't know. I've got two months to find a new place or I'm homeless."

Danny stopped in the middle of the floor and turned around, looking worn out. He was four months pregnant now and the baby bump was beginning to really show under his t-shirt. He gave a shrug and bit down on his lower lip, looking ready to cry and Steve got it. Danny's hormones had been running into the deeply emotional over the last week or so. It seemed the smallest things could set off the tears and right now, this kind of news did nothing for his state of mind.

"What am I going to do?" he said, face twisting as he tried to hold it together. "I could barely afford that shit hole of a place to begin with, I've looked through some of the rental adds for what I can afford. It was bad enough taking Grace back there, never mind some of those other places."

"It's okay Danny," Steve walked over to him, putting an arm around his shoulder as he began to cry, blubbering over stuff like how was he supposed to live in a worst shit hole when he was pregnant? How was he going to find a place at a such short notice? What if the new shit hole was miles away from everyone he knew? What if he couldn't find a place he could afford?

 

Steve smiled and led him to the sofa, sitting down with him and holding him until he calmed down. Danny wiped a hand over his face and sniffled, resting his head on Steve's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come here and off load onto you. But I didn't know where else to go."

"It's fine Danny," Steve assured him, hugging him close. "You're upset, you needed to talk to someone. We'll figure something out together. For now though, you can move in here, we can store your stuff in the garage or rent a space and that'll give you time to look around properly for another apartment."

"You don't have to do that," Danny said, sitting up in surprise. "I didn't come to ask to move in here."

"I know you didn't," Steve said with a smile. "But it's a perfect soloution at this particular time. We're getting to know each other better, I see you most of the week now anyway. You know the house, I trust you to be here. You can even help me out getting this place ready for the baby, that is if you want too. It would be a part time soloution to the problem until you figure out something more permanent for yourself. And of course Grace is welcome any time."

"It wouldn't be for too long," Danny said, putting a hand on his thigh and giving it a squeeze. Steve was acutely aware what that touch did to him and tried not to shift uncomfortably in his pants. He had no idea if Danny knew of his growing attraction, that the reason he made sure to see him as much as he could every week wasn't just because Danny was his surrogate but because he liked Danny. A lot. He liked spending time with him, enjoyed being around him, wanted to kiss him most of the time. Do even more than kissing if he had his way. "I'll start looking for apartments right away. I'd not to be in the way."

"Of course you wouldn't be," Steve said, daringly placing his hand over Danny's. "And stay as long as you need, you're pregnant with my daughter Danny, it's the least I can do. This way I get to bond even more - with her."

~

Steve jumped to his feet startled when he saw Danny hurrying through the bullpen of the 5-0 offices. He rounded his desk and headed for the door as Danny approached it, swinging it open in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, because Danny never came to the office.

Danny merely grinned and waved him back inside.

"Nothing," Danny laughed off his concern.

"Then why are you -," Steve asked as Danny grabbed his wrist.

"I started feeling her move a few days ago," Danny smiled, pressing his hand to the underside of his curving belly. "But today -."

He paused and waited and Steve frowned before surprise burst into his eyes. "Is that-?"

"Yup, she's been pummeling my kidneys all morning but she's moved round a little," Danny smiled as another tiny bump occurred under Steve's palm. "I was taking a walk, decided to head this way to see if you were around so you could feel."

"That's so - weird," Steve said, not removing his hand even when Danny pulled his away.

"It's okay now, not looking forward to the next couple of months though, the bigger she gets, the stronger the kicking will be," Danny laughed lightly. "Grace tended to sleep all day and be awake all night. Not so much fun for me."

Steve still didn't move, giving him a smile at the story and waiting for another kick, fascinated by the feel of it. He wondered what it was like to be Danny, having the little being growing inside you like that, feeling all her movements.

"You know, much as I wouldn't mind you feeling me up Steve," Danny teased as Steve's hand roved a little over his belly, trying to follow her movement. "Maybe in a less public place huh babe?"

"Huh, what?" Steve said, pulling his hands away and looking suddenly embarrassed. "Oh sorry."

Danny laughed and patted him on the arm. "It's okay, I was only joking."

He moved around him and sat down on the sofa, sitting back and stretching his legs out before him. "I haven't come at a bad time have I? You're not working on a case?"

"Just paperwork," Steve grimaced with a shake of his head, sitting down beside him. "This gives me an excuse to stop."

"Yeah right, like you were doing it anyway," Danny laughed with a roll of his eyes.

"I do enough to keep the higher ups happy and off my back," Steve laughed in reply. "What are you up to later?"

"No plans," Danny shook his head. "Got to get used to this whole part time thing. I hated being desked, hate being told I only need to work three days a week even more so."

"Sorry," Steve said, waving his hand at the baby bump. After all, it was his fault in a way. Danny smirked and rubbed his hand over the swell.

"Oh I didn't mean it that way," he backtracked. "I don't hate the pregnancy part. This isn't me making complaints about that. I just miss doing my job, working a case, figuring out the puzzle. I'll be back at it in a few months, I guess I should appreciate the extra time on my hands."

"I know what you meant," Steve assured him. "I guess I'll feel like you when I go on paternity leave myself."

"Oh," Danny said with a smile, grabbing Steve's hand and pressing it to the bump again. "There she goes again. Guess she's like you, likes a lot of action. Might have a little soldier on your hands there babe."

Steve didn't reply, completely caught up in feeling the little being inside Danny connecting with him with small bumps against his hand. It was weird and humbling at the same time. He glanced up to find Danny smiling like a dork at him and felt a hint of embarrassment, pulling his hand away. 

"Sorry," He apologised, jumping to his feet. There were such things as boundaries he kept telling himself.

"Don't worry about it," Danny replied, standing himself. "It is why I came over." 

He laughed and shook his head, rocking on his heels. "Guess that does sound weird, arriving at the office so you can touch me up."

Steve laughed nervously and nodded, hands firmly in his pockets, "Yeah I guess."

"Next time I'll wait at home, that way I don't have to be wearing so many clothes before you do," Danny grinned, turning and heading for the door. "Something to look forward to. I'll see you tonight babe, bye."

"Uh, yeah, - uh, bye," Steve said with a frown, unsure if Danny was joking or not, his words throwing him off guard. Danny turned, winked and left before he could say any more.


	7. Chapter 7

Over the last few weeks, Steve had started to regret inviting Danny to move in with him. It wasn't that he didn't want the man around, on the contrary. He _liked_ having Danny around, that was the problem. He was beginning to get used to having him in the house, to coming home to cooked meals. Not all the time, but if Danny was making something for himself, he always put him out a plate because it made sense to make a meal for two. It was nice simply to come home to somebody.

It was nice that that 'somebody' happened to be gorgeous, attractive and pregnant with his child. Steve knew he was getting comfortable with the arrangements, but those would all change once the baby was born and Danny found himself a new place. Steve had to keep reminding himself that Danny wasn't permanent, that he wasn't his.

If he was honest he hadn't thought about settling down with a partner. The SEAL's hadn't left much time to make a life at home with someone on a permanent basis. He'd had plenty of flings, a string of beaux, male and female, people he fooled around with when he had an itch. But he'd not met anyone he wanted to spend his life with. He thought having a baby, being a father would complete him but he was beginning to wonder if maybe he needed more than that.

Danny was making efforts to find a new place, every day he got the local listings and circled places, went to view some. They either got worse and worse or increasingly expensive for what he could afford now he was reduced to part time hours and living on state funding from the paternity program itself. It was enough but living would be tight in the most basic accommodation if he lived alone. Still, Steve wasn't sure how much more he could take seeing Danny every day, especially out on the lanai, shirt off, belly swelling, tanned, well toned shoulders, tight ass in those god-damned denim cut offs he still managed to wear.

And Steve found himself more and more protective and watchful as the pregnancy progressed. When he was at home, he was constantly checking Danny was comfortable, that the baby was fine, fetching and carrying things for him before Danny could do it himself, even if Danny protested.

Danny was just on the cusp of seven months and really beginning to show. He'd forgoed his usual clothes now for paternity wear, shirts much looser around the middle, elasticated waists (he swore he'd shoot Steve if he told anyone). Steve found it amusing that Danny was so sensitive about his body image when pregnant. The bump he was happy with, but everything else he seemed to hate. He found him in the bathroom as he walked past, sizing himself up in the mirror with a miserable frown. Steve paused at the open door, leaning against the frame.

"You okay?" He asked in concern.

"Yeah," Danny sighed with a shrug, grimacing and looking away.

Steve looked him over with an appraising eye. Light blue cuts off that ended mid-calf, showing off well-tanned legs and feet. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, a few buttons loose at the top, well fitted on the shoulders showing off his upper physique, falling loose at the bottom to show the silhouette of the baby bump without clinging to him.

Danny slipped past him, looking distracted and headed for the stairs. Steve followed, still concerned. Danny had been a bit low in spirits the last week or so.

"What's wrong Danny," Steve said calmly as the descended down the stairs. "You aren't yourself."

"No, no I'm not," Danny agreed with a nod, pausing at the bottom of the stairs and giving a grunt, straightening out his back.

Steve put a hand on his shoulder and petted him.

"C'mon, give, what's up?" Steve urged gently, to get him talking./

"You're right, I'm not myself," Danny said with a shrug, pulling away from him and turning. "I'm this."

He did a full body sweep with his hands and grimaced again, rolling his eyes. Steve frowned, trying to understand but not following. Danny sighed and waved at himself again.

"I'm, just - bleh -you know," Danny said in an exasperated tone.

" _Bleh_?" Steve repeated with a small smile, stepping closer. "Is that even a word?"

"Oh it's fine for you," Danny said suddenly, giving him a poke on the shoulder. "You looking like _that_ every day. Gorgeous and sexy and _I roll out of bed every morning looking this amazing_. Meanwhile some of us are becoming as big as whales, our feet swell and our hair goes all weird, we get fat and ugly and just - yeah - bleh."

Danny twisted his mouth, looking ready to cry and turned away, ready to stomp away but Steve put his hands on his shoulders to steady him.

"You are not _bleh_ Danny, that I can assure you," he said softly, stepping closer to him.

"Yeah well I feel like it," Danny shrugged, sounding like he was fighting back the tears. He was having another emotional week. "Nobody dated me _before_ I was pregnant and now nobody would touch me with a barge pole."

"God Danny, down on yourself much?" Steve teased, moving to his side and putting an arm around him, pulling him over to the couch. 

"It's true, who'd want this?" Danny sighed, sitting down on the sofa. "Look at me."

"I am looking," Steve said with a smile and a nod. "Nothing wrong with you from where I'm sitting."

"You have to say that," Danny replied, sitting back and roving his hand over the swell.

Steve put his hand over his and stilled it, looking him in the eye. "I'm not just saying it. I was checking you out the moment I first saw you at the Doctors office before we were introduced. Haven't stopped since. I more than like what I see."

"You don't have to be nice to me just because you're stuck with me here," Danny said, pulling his hand away. "I'm not looking for pity or -."

"It's not pity you idiot," Steve cut him off with a laugh. "How manyways does a guy have to say they are interested in you before you get the hint?"

"Steve," Danny began again, looking uncomfortable. Steve reached out and put a hand on his knee, giving a small squeeze of reassurance.

"I'm sorry, I'm not saying this to make things weird or awkward between us," he said honestly. "But I don't know how much longer I can stand not saying anything at all. You aren't ugly, you aren't fat and you don't look like a whale. Okay, yeah, you're feet are swollen, but I'm putting that down to the fact you walk around alot and have gained a few extra pounds because of my daughter. Anyway, you just said I'm gorgeous _and_ sexy so I get to at least say the same about you because it's true. I've thought that from the beginning, I was just too chicken to say anything before."

Danny blushed and looked away but Steve didn't move his hand, just keep squeezing his fingers and rubbing his thigh gently.

"I'm sorry, this makes things awkward between us doesn't it?" Steve said eventually, feeling nervous.

"It could change things," Danny said with a small nod. "Depending on where we go from here."

"I'm not asking for anything," Steve assured him. "I just want you to know how I feel. And I want you to feel good about yourself, because there's nothing wrong with you Danny."

"So you don't want this to go anywhere?" Danny asked with a frown, looking at him with disapointment.

"Well, I mean, if something happens then great," Steve back tracked, trying to read Danny's reaction. "But I'm saying if nothing happens nothing will change, either way. Why, do you uh, would you be interested in -?"

"Are you kidding?" Danny said, putting his hand over his. "I thought you weren't interested, I just thought it was my hormones playing tricks whenever I did think you were so I never pursued anything."

"You mean all this time I've wasted keeping my hands to myself with you walking around the house half naked, I could have been touching?" Steve exclaimed with a grin.

Danny flushed again, a haze of pink drifting over his cheeks, down his neck and under the collar of his shirt.

"Well maybe," Danny shrugged with slight trepidation. "We shouldn't rush too far ahead. Things are kind of complicated right now for us."

"Why because you're pregnant with _my_ baby?" Steve smirked.

"Well yeah, kinda," Danny replied with a nod. "I mean great if we did, you know, date or whatever, but if things went sour, then things would definitely be complicated. Maybe we should just leave things as they are."

Steve had to agree, disappointed as he was but Danny made sense. He didn't need to add any more complications to Danny's life.

"Yeah I guess you're right," he said, pulling back and moving to the other side of the sofa. It felt wrong, having come so close to saying how he really felt, but he buried down his feelings and emotions. Maybe Danny was right, he just felt this way because he was pregnant with his child and living under the same roof. But when the baby came, Danny would be gone, getting on with his life, back to being full time detective. Perhaps he'd stay in touch, they hadn't actually talked about what would happen after the baby was born. In fact they talked little about their current situation, about the surrogacy and the money Danny gained from being part of the programme. "Look I want you to know I mean what I said, about you still being attractive. Don't be so tough on yourself."

"I won't," Danny said with a shake of his head and the gap between them seemed like a chasm. "I'm sorry Steve, but this is for the best right? Not complicating matters. It's the right thing to do."

"Yeah it will be," Steve said quickly with a sharp nod. He silently tried to convince himself it was the truth.


	8. Chapter 8

Danny groaned and got out of bed, giving up on sleep. The baby was awake and moving around, kicking and shifting position, making him restless. He was tired, his back ached and he had a headache. He rubbed his temple, stepping into slippers before shuffling out of his room and downstairs in the semi darkness of the night, turning on a lamp. He got a bottle of water from the fridge and sat on the sofa, pondering on how long he'd be awake before he tried to sleep again. He was beginning to tire of not sleeping properly. The baby moved and kicked at his belly and he rubbed at the spot wearily.

"Yeah I know baby girl," he told her, patting the spot. "Don't be in such a hurry to get out, the worlds a big place."

He heard the stairs creak and glanced over, seeing Steve making his way down with a yawn and a stretch, mouth drying up at the sight of inked muscles flexing and moving. Steve just wore cut off sleep pants that hung low, showing off the 'v' of his well-toned abs and torso.

"You okay Danny?" Steve asked, padding accross the floor.

"Yeah, sorry, did I wake you?" Danny asked, looking away to stop himself from staring.

"No, I couldn't sleep properly, heard you get up, just wanted to make sure you were okay," Steve said, sitting on the recliner.

"Well, I am," Danny said, lying back, giving a small moan. The twinge in his lower back tingled up his spine and he sat up again. "Okay, maybe not quite."

"Back ache?" Steve said with mild concern.

"Can't get comfortable in bed," Danny shrugged with a sigh. "She's pretty active tonight."

"Want a back rub?" Steve offered, sitting forward. 

Danny knew he should decline, that there was an invisible line they were both wary not to cross. Only the twinge was a constant prickle at his nerves and even if the baby was asleep, he wouldn't sleep because of it. He just wanted even twenty minutes of reprieve from it's presence. So instead of saying no, he gave a grateful smile.

"Actually that'd be nice."

He ignored Steve's look of eagerness, trying not to read anything into it. They'd agreed after all. Steve had stood and extended a hand to pull him to his feet and Danny frowned in a moment of confusion.

"That's a small couch," Steve explained. "Don't want to make things worse because you're sat the wrong way. Come back upstairs."

Danny looked warily up at him, eyebrows raising and Steve smiled, giving a shake of his head. "Honestly Danny, no strings. But you should be comfortable. You never know, might relax you enough to sleep as well."

Danny shook off his questioning, taking Steve's hand and standing, the idea of being relaxed enough to sleep was a welcome one. They went back to his room where he sat in the middle of the bed, Steve knelt behind him. He discarded the t-shirt he'd pulled on getting out of bed and gave a small shudder when Steve's palms slid onto his lower back.

"I should have gotten the oil," Steve said thoughtfully as he gently rubbed at the bottom of Danny's back.

"S'okay," Danny said with a shake of his head before he let out a breath and reached back to snag Steve's wrist. His fingers were just on the spot where the worst of the twinges kept occurring. "Right there," Danny sighed out with slight relief.

Thumbs deftly began working on the spot, working on the knot that had begun to form in the muscle of his lower back. Danny bit back a moan of appreciation and closed his eyes. Steve's hands were warm, working on the kink with his thumbs before rubbing up and down his entire back with his palms, going back to the spot to work at the kink somemore. Palms flat, then working thumbs, flat palms, working thumbs, over and over and Danny drifted in enjoyment. It had been so long since somebody had touched him, the closest he'd come to intimacy for possibly a year. The pregnancy didn't help, people saw the bump and instantly assumed he was involved and when he did try to explain, they assumed complications. So he didn't bother trying. It didn't help his self-esteem either, which was currently waning in the later months of pregnancy. It was frustrating, because usually he was so self-assured and confident in his attractiveness, his ability to flirt and be a people person.

He rubbed at the bump with a smile. Not that he minded being pregnant, if he did he wouldn't have joined the program. Wouldn't have gotten to meet Steve, at least not in this capacity. Considering Steve's new position with the trask force, there was a chance they'd have crossed paths eventually. In entirely different circumstances. He'd went through similar esteem issues when he'd been pregnant with Grace, it also hadn't helped that he and Rachel had stopped having sex not long after he'd gotten pregnant. He'd not told a soul, but it had made him feel repulsive, because she hadn't accepted any kind of sexual offers he'd tried in a futile attempt to connect. They'd been disconnected until after Grace was born and he'd recovered from the c-section fully. After that, it had gone back to how it had been before, as if the nine months of not touching hadn't existed. But there hadn't been an urgency or desperation to get intimate again either.

As much as he liked being pregnant, it was hard to let go of that residual memory. It hadn't made the emotional ups and downs any easier either. He knew it was one of the reasons they'd not considered having any other children together. Maybe it had been the beginning of the end.

Warm palms slid up to his shoulders and he felt the soft warmth of breath hitting the side of his neck.

"You still awake?" Steve asked quietly and Danny smiled, realising he'd fallen silent in thought and drifted as Steve's touch had lulled him into comfort.

"Yeah, just," Danny replied. He let out a grateful sigh, he wasn't pain free but the massage had alleviated the tension some. "Don't stop yet."

"I'm not," Steve assured him, sliding his hands back down and working his hands again. "Just making sure you're still in the land of the living."

"I am for now," Danny smiled, dropping his head down again, closing his eyes and drifting again in thought. "Feels too good to sleep through."

"That a compliment Danno," Steve asked, voice teasing and gentle.

"Oh please, those are talented hands," Danny shot back with a laugh. "And I'm sure you know it."

"Just glad to be of service," Steve replied, laughing himself.

"Wish you'd been around when I was pregnant the first time," Danny said, words leaving his mouth before he had time to catch himself. "Rachel couldn't bear to touch me, I think sharing a bed was enough for her tolerance."

He was surprised at himself for revealing such a secret. He'd never told anyone that before, even in the anger and bitterness throughout the divorce when he vented to family and friends. Steve's hands had stilled on his waist, resting there with slight tension, fingers clutching onto his skin.

"What?" Steve asked sharply in surprise.

Danny tried to back track on his words only his mind went blank on what to say. He shifted but he was too comfortable, too relaxed to move much. "Nothing, it's nothing." He tried to cover up his words but Steve, like a dog on a bone, latched on to what he'd said. Steve's fingers relaxed and smoothed around his waist to rub over the swell of his belly, caressing and soft, leaning in to speak quietly into his ear.

"She didn't touch you?" Steve asked gently, trying to understand.

Danny closed his eyes and sighed, it still hurt, in a deep crevice somewhere inside him. That lack of intimacy, the pain of being un-attractive to your own wife, the confusion of not understanding exactly what repulsed her so much. He shook his head, swallowed down. There was no easy way of saying it, so he just let the words out, words he'd not spoken aloud at any time since.

"Everything changed after I got pregnant. Don't get me wrong, she wanted the baby, we _both_ wanted the baby. She's a good mother, the best, for all her faults I'll not have anything said against her on that score. But - god this is hard - after I got pregnant, sex and anything pertaining to it went out of the window. She didn't desire me, despite any attempts I made. It was like two strangers sharing a bed. Everything else in our lives, our marriage, work, every day stuff; it was like nothing was wrong, but intimacy, that was a no go area. It was like the thought of it was repulsive to her."

As the words left him it was like a great weight had lifted, he'd been carrying that around with him for ten years. Steve's hands rested either side of the bump now, low near the curve of his hips and thighs and his chin rested on his shoulder just so.

"That must have been hard," Steve sympathised quietly.

Danny smiled, considering how little those words described those months. Hard barely scratched the surface. It had felt lonely, had pummelled his self esteem to the ground, had made him feel unattractive, unwanted. His thwarted attempts had turned into arguments, Rachel hadn't ever given a clear explanation of why she suddenly found him repulsive and with his hormones and emotions riding rollercoasters, he'd stopped trying. Stopped asking. Getting through nine months of pregnancy had been challenge enough.

"You have no idea," he replied quietly.

"That why you're so hard on yourself now?" Steve asked and he felt closer, his chest pressing up against his back now, chin sliding firmer onto his neck and if Danny leaned back he could look him in the eye. "Is that why you think you're ugly and unattractive like this?"

Danny smiled and gave a small mocking laugh at himself. "Not easy feeling attractive when everything turns pudgy."

It was Steve's turn to laugh, giving him a squeeze and smiling. "Pudgy? Really D, my vocabulary has grown immensely since I met you with all these new words I'm learning."

"It's true," Danny retorted, revelling in the feel of Steve's arms around him. Being cautious be damned, it felt nice to be held so close.

"She really fucked you over," Steve said with a sudden intensity, anger in his eyes.

Danny thought maybe it was true but he put a hand over Steve's and squeezed gently. "I didn't tell you all this for you to get angry at my ex."

"Then why did you tell me?" Steve asked, calming a little.

"You lulled me into a false sense of security with your damned good massage," Danny chuckled. "Got me thinking about when I was last pregnant and how much I missed out on such - intimacies. Like I've told you already, it's been a long time since anyone got physically close."

"Anything else I can help you with?" Steve asked, hands dipping lower, tracing the crease of his hip with half serious intention and yeah, Danny had to admit, his dick had started to get interested as soon as Steve had put his hands on his knotted, tense back.

Danny grabbed his wrist and paused it, turning his face to look at him. "Thought we said we weren't going to complicate things."

Steve laughed and pressed his face into his neck and shoulder, making Danny shudder with need the way his hot breath hit his skin and sent shivers down his spine. Lips so heavenly soft against him.

"I think we're way past that line we said we wouldn't cross," Steve eventually said, lifting his face to look at him once more, suddenly serious again. "But if you really want me to stop, I'll stop."

"I really, really don't want you too," Danny sighed, uncaring of cautions and crossing lines. What he really wanted was Steve, had done for months now. Fuck complicated, he'd deal with the fall out later, if there was one.

He felt disappointed when Steve lifted the hand that had been edging so carefully down past the waistline of his sleep pants. But his fingers skimmed over his chest instead, coming to a rest, the middle of his palm flat against his nipple and the gentlest brush of lips skimmed up the side of his neck, coming to a rest at his ear lobe.

"Move back a little," Steve whispered, inching back himself to lean against the head rest, grabbing a small pillow Danny's usually used to support his lower back and placing it between them. Danny settled back comfortably, Steve holding him carefully, fingers titling his head back and settling his mouth over his.

It wasn't the best angle for a kiss, but Danny didn't care, the gentle, soft sweeping of lips and delicate feel of tongue was perfect against his mouth. It had been so long since anyone had kissed him, the gentleness was overwhelming and he thought he'd float away if Steve's hands weren't holding him so closely. Their fingers entwined where their left hands rested on his hip. Steve's right slid down again, nudging past his waist band and making him gasp in surprise.

Steve pulled back at that, looking at him with mild concern. "This okay?" he asked, squeezing his fingers where they were wrapped together.

"Yeah, yes," Danny said with a nod. "Just been a while."

Steve smiled, moving his hand and pushing at the waistband, trying to edge the sleep pants down. Danny grinned, helping, lifting his hips and using his own free hand to push them down his thighs, cock springing free. He went to pull his pants off but Steve pulled him back again, impatient to get a hand on him, licking his palm before he took a firm, possessive hold of his cock, making Danny squirm in response.

"Oh god," Danny breathed out, closing his eyes and lying back against Steve's chest.

"You should be touched," Steve said lazily, easing his hand up and down. "And often. Every day if I have anything to do with it."

"Don't tease me," Danny smiled, letting out another moan. It felt delicious, like heaven, Steve experimenting on how firm to hold him, how much pull and twist he needed for the desired effect.

"I think you like to be teased," Steve replied, mouth pressing against his temple. "I think I'll like teasing you, exploring you. Discovering what it is that makes you tick."

His thumb pressed against the head, slicking through precome gathering on the tip and rubbing it down the thick vein on the underside of his shaft.

"Fuck Steve," Danny gasped, tightening his fingers into Steve's where they still clasped one another. His other hand he'd lifted and rested at the back of Steve's head, fingers rubbing into the bottom of his hair line.

Steve massaged the head of his cock again, reading his reactions. "Just like that Danny?"

"Yes, fuck yes," Danny said, squirming a little. The weight of the baby helped keep him steady. It was awkward trying to jerk himself off nowadays with the bump in the way, but this, lying back and someone else doing it for him. Bliss, pure bliss. That it was Steve made the moment even more perfect.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are," Steve whispered, voice low and sultry, hand beginning to move up and down firmly.

"Shut up," Danny said, not wanting the moment spoiled with reminders of his low esteem. "Stop talking."

"I'm going to touch you every day, going to remind you how beautiful and attractive and sexy as hell you are," Steve said ignoring him. "Until you start believing it for yourself again."

"Steve," Danny groaned, clutching onto him tighter. His hold on his cock was just shy of tight enough, leaving him breathless but not spinning. "Babe please."

"You need more Danny?" Steve asked, a teasing, gentle tone in his questioning, driving Danny wild.

"Yes, tighter please, just-," Danny said, catching his breath, squirming back against him, trying to jerk his hips upwards into the slow down slide of Steve's hand.

"Tell me you're beautiful," Steve told him softly, mouth brushing up and down the side of his face.

"What?" Danny frowned, writhing desperately. So close but so far.

"Tell me you're beautiful," Steve repeated. "Say it Danny. Start believing it."

"Steve," Danny moaned again, felt himself so close to the edge. 

"Please D," Steve whispered against his ear. "Say it for me."

"I'm - I'm beautiful," Danny said, feeling his neck and cheeks flush. The words felt so foreign on his tongue. He grunted as Steve's hand tightened around his shaft, sliding slowly downwards.

"I'm attractive," Steve continued, lips caressing his ear.

"I'm attractive," Danny gasped out before grunting, hips squirming on the mattress. "Fuck Steve, oh god, yes, yes."

"I deserve to feel like this," Steve said to him, letting go of his hand to slide an arm around his chest, holding him tight as he writhed and lost himself to the feelings of pleasure he was creating.

"I deserve - fuck, god fuck - to feel like this," Danny rattled out, words tripping off his tongue with moans and grunts, Steve was really working his cock now. He couldn't stay still, writhing, squirming, Steve holding him tight, calmly letting him lose control. "Oh god gonna come, god Steve, fuck babe, yes, yes."

Everything turned bright white, he thought maybe if Steve wasn't holding him, he'd have shattered apart completely. Pleasure pulsed through his limbs, hips jerking as his cock spasmed, balls emptying. Steve jerked him through it as he rode the intensity before slumping back with panting breaths, clutching onto him like an anchor. Danny couldn't say anything, it had been so long since anyone had gotten him off that he had no words to say. Instead he leisured in the feel of being held afterwards, in the safe, warm comfort of Steve's arms. They both fell quiet, Steve letting go of his cock eventually, wiping a sticky palm on the bed before wrapping both arms around him and leaning them both back as Danny relaxed into his sated bliss.


	9. Chapter 9

They'd fallen asleep. When he woke, early light was peeking in under the curtains. He shifted, realising he was still resting against Steve, whose arms were still wrapped gently around him. Somehow Steve had pulled a blanket over them both, before falling asleep against the headrest. Danny smiled, unwilling to move far, resting his hand on Steve's thigh that lay alongside his body. It had been one of the most satisfying sleeps he'd had in a long time.

But he grunted, feeling the telltale twinge of his bladder and these days, he couldn't afford to linger, the baby didn't give him much choice. He gently wriggled out of Steve's hold, managing to get off the bed and walked naked out into the hall to the bathroom. He went to the toilet, washed his hands and splashed cold water on his face, looking in the mirror at himself. There was a glow in his cheeks that had been missing in a while and a deep satisfaction had stored itself up inside after the hand job Steve had given him.

He realized with a slight embarrassment that he'd fallen asleep before he could return the favour and it hadn't been like he'd left Steve in a position to help himself out. But as he thought back, he recalled Steve holding him close, cuddling him in and gently rocking him with soothing sounds and caresses as he'd drifted into sleep. He smiled, leaving the bathroom and returning to his bedroom, finding Steve awake and lying on his side, sitting up on an elbow as he walked back in.

"Everything okay?" Steve asked with mild concern and Danny realized he was anxious about what had happened. 

"Yeah, fine," Danny assured him, going back to the bed and sliding in to lie next to him, lying a hand on his hip. "Baby doesn't leave much room for delayed bathroom usage."

Steve gave a small laugh before leaning in and kissing him tentatively. "Thought you may have had a minor freak out after what happened."

"You kidding?" Danny said raising an eyebrow and grinning. "It's the most action I've gotten in a year. Just feeling a little guilty that I fell asleep so fast."

Steve smiled, curling a leg around his and rubbing his erection against his thigh gently. "Plenty of time to make up for it."

"What would you like me to do for you?" Danny grinned, hand curling around his thigh and tightening.

Steve looked momentarily eager before he lowered his eyes and rested his hand over Danny's where it lay on his leg.

"I'm sure you can think of something," Steve deflected.

"You want something," Danny said knowingly. "What is it? Some weird kink only a handful of people in the world know exist?"

"No," Steve laughed, rolling his eyes. "Nothing weird."

"C'mon give," Danny encouraged.

"I want to fuck you," Steve said quickly, looking guilty, rolling away as he spoke.

Danny was surprised, moving closer to rest a hand on his chest. "You're right that isn't weird. So why are you freaking out?"

Steve looked at him with a wide eyed expression, "Don't you think it's a little soon."

"Seriously? You give me a hand job in the middle of the night, seduce me with your Casanova act and then get coy because you want in me?" Danny said with a laugh. "I thought you were aiming to make me feel wanted again. This is decidedly going against that argument."

"You know I want you," Steve said, grabbing his hand. "I want you that much I want to fuck you, so many times, in so manyways. But like you said, it's been a long time for you. I don't want to leap too soon. Plus, well I mean - is that okay? You being pregnant."

"You haven't been doing your homework," Danny grinned, giving him a poke. "Penetrative sex, in the later stages of male pregnancy is very much encouraged. Something to do with a certain hormone that's released in my body through sex,it's very good for me and for the baby."

Steve scowled and rolled his eyes. "You're making that shit up."

"Actually I'm not," Danny said seriously, shaking his head. "Go on, Bing it. I was considering a dildo or probe of some kind to use to test the theory."

Steve was still skeptical and Danny laughed as he grabbed his phone and checked on the web right there in the bed. Steve scrolled through some of the information sites before he tossed his phone aside. "All right I believe you."

"Thanks for the trust there buddy," Danny chuckled.

"Sorry," Steve said, rolling up against him and kissing him hard. "Still think it's too soon."

Danny put a hand on his shoulder and held him close, looking him in the eye. "It's been over a fucking year for me Steve. It won't ever be too soon. You want to fuck me, then fuck me. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing right now than having you pound me."

"God Danny," Steve said with a teasing smile. "My baby can hear you."

"She is asleep right now so she can't hear you being an overly cautious idiot," Danny replied. "Perfect time for you to get busy getting acquainted with my ass. I got lube in the bottom drawer."

He gave Steve a push and twisted himself round on the bed, so his feet swung over the sides as Steve retrieved the lube from the dresser. Steve paused and looked at him puzzled as Danny moved pillows behind him so he could lie back comfortably.

"What?" Danny asked with a shrug. "This will be a more comfortable position for me, rather than being flat on my back. Be good for you too being able to brace yourself on the floor."

"God you're a fucking tease," Steve groaned, going over to him, popping the lube. 

Danny sat up, reaching out for him, pulling down his sleep pants he was still wearing. Steve's cock bobbed freely before him.

"Hello sailor," Danny grinned, resting a hand on his hip. "Plus, sitting here I can do this."

Steve could only stare open mouthed as Danny leaned in, taking his cock in his free hand and wrapping his mouth around the tip. Steve reached down automatically, resting a hand on Danny's shoulder and let out a soft 'fuck' at the feel of tongue teasing the tip. Danny hummed around his cock as he went down on him and Steve had to brace himself, holding himself back from thrusting his hips. God it felt good, Danny definitely had talent and he looked forward to learning just how much.

When Danny pulled back he frowned and glanced down, letting out a harsh breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Danny was looking at him in concern.

"You okay?" Danny asked, thumbs rolling on his hips.

Steve smiled and realized he'd been holding back, squeezing Danny's shoulder reassuringly. "Yeah, sorry, you're just too good at that and I didn't want to lose it before - you know."

Danny grinned and patted his hip before leaning back on the bed. "Then lets get to it."

He lay back further, cushioned by the pillows so he wasn't fully on his back and able to look up at Steve without straining. He hooked a leg around Steve's and urged him forward, making Steve laugh as he poured lube onto his fingers.

"Gonna have to help here babe, this bump doesn't exactly give much room for maneuver," Danny said.

Steve got with the program, leaning down to hook his arm under Danny's leg, letting the back of his kneecap rest in the crook of his arm. Danny's free leg settled around his thigh and he leaned down further, pushing a little to tilt his hips, reaching with his free hand past Danny's hard cock and probing delicately at his ass.

He brushed gently for a minute before he began seeking entrance with the digit, looking up Danny's body. Danny had his eyes closed, head tilted back as he breathed and relaxed, hands resting quietly on the bed. Danny let out a small gasp as he slid his finger in, he was tight, muscles clenching around his knuckle.

"This good?" Steve asked, carefully spearing in and out, using the slick of the lube to ease the entrance.

"Yeah, yeah," Danny said softly, concentrating on relaxing.

Steve smiled, it was unreal being able to do this to Danny. Having fantasised for the last few months with him being in the house, the reality of it was so much more satisfying. HIs cock twitched to be in him, but he pulled back his finger and aligned a second pressing gently again. He watched Danny's reactions carefully, the deep breaths in and slow exhale as he pushed in, the small hitch of his throat as he held in a soft moan. His fingers itched against the bedspread and his brow furrowed gently at the bridge of his nose.

Tightness engulfed his fingers again and he speared them back and forth before he began twisting, scissoring, feeling the muscles finally giving way a little. Danny's cock was hard, twitching as he prepped him. Soon enough his fingers slid easily in and out and he pulled his hand free. Coating his cock with lube he lined up before glancing at Danny again, who had lost the glazed, relaxed look on his face, peering up at him intensely.

They exchanged smiles, Danny wrapping his free leg around Steve's thigh and urging him closer. Steve didn't need an invitation, he'd been wanting this for eight months, since seeing Danny in the waiting room. He felt slight resistance as Danny's hole stretched around his cock, the head pressing in. He watched Danny closely for any sign of discomfort but Danny just let out small, sharp breaths and gazed happily up at him. Steve thought maybe he was more nervous himself about this than Danny was, Danny whose body was raging with extra hormones plus several months of zero intimacy from another person.

As he slipped in further, Steve gave in to the delicious feeling of the connection, how tight Danny was and how good it felt. He groaned in pleasure, concentrating on that feeling, how it tingled up his spine and made his blood rush faster through his body. The angle wasn't perfect and he couldn't get much depth but it still felt good. He was reminded how much he'd wanted this since he'd met Danny the first time. Why had they taken so long to get to this point?

Danny looked wanton and debauched, spread out against the cream coloured sheets, hair kinked and mussed up. It may have been a long time but he was definitely enjoying himself. Steve found it wasn't just a physical attraction he felt for the man nor that it was sexy as hell fucking Danny, but the fact Danny was pregnant with his baby, somehow made it all the more intimate a connection.

He began moving back and forth with gentle thrusts, listening to Danny's moans escaping his open mouth. Steve reached out and ran a hand over the curve of Danny's belly, the warmth of the bump under his palm before Danny's fingers entwined into his. They clung to him and Danny urged him to 'move, deeper, please' in a desperate groan. Steve had started cautious in case Danny wanted to back out, fearing this was a mistake. But Danny hadn't shown anything but enjoyment and pleasure and Steve grew more confident, urged on by the sounds he elicited from him. He gave Danny what he asked for, moving faster, drawing louder moans from Danny with each thrust. Steve groaned himself, it was so good, so perfect and something he wanted to do more than this once.

That Danny was loud turned him on even more. Danny's moans were sinful, Steve was glad they were alone, it would have woken a full house. Not that he cared, it was sexy, made him feel good, made him drive into Danny harder, wanted to give him everything. It felt good, his cock sliding into Danny's tight heat, feeling the muscles pressing in around his throbbing shaft. He could feel the coiled spring of his orgasm tightening, ready to burst. He couldn't think or see straight, closing his eyes and losing himself to the moment, it was going to end too soon for his liking. Next time he'd take more time to enjoy this new development of their relationship.

When Danny announced he was going to come, voice raspy and strained with pleasure Steve nearly lost it right there. He hadn't even touched Danny's cock, and opened his eyes just in time to see Danny arch and give a loud gasping cry before he shuddered, leg tightening around his thigh as he came, pleasure rolling through him like waves, Steve still fucking him through it. Steve saw and felt enough before his own orgasm hit him like a punch to the gut. One second he saw Danny in ecstasy, then he saw stars, millions of bright lights behind his eyelids, pleasure exploding in and out of him. He stilled, buried in Danny as his cock emptied with throbbing bursts, trying to catch his breath.

Through blurred vision and with a feeling of floating he eased out then collapsed onto the bed by Danny, arm slung over him as they both caught their breaths. There was relieved, satisfied feeling in the air and he smiled and joined in when Danny began laughing happily.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, you're sleeping with the surrogate?"

Steve abruptly halted and frowned, staring at Mary who was sat at his kitchen table. Mary who hadn't given him any heads up she was going to be visiting.

"What are you-," he began but he knew it was fruitless. Mary lived by her own rules. He scrubbed a hand over his face, Danny had crashed out asleep again but he'd been two wired to drift off. The adrenaline of sex still thrummed through him and he'd wanted to sit over breakfast and replay the memory slowly, enjoying the bliss. "When did you get here?"

Mary smiled cheekily and took a sip from a mug. _Danny's mug_ Steve thought to himself, bristling with slight irritation. "Been here long enough bro. I wanted to surprise you," she explained, taking a cookie from the jar she'd set on the table. "Would have made my presence known earlier but you two sounded busy. Wouldn't want to disturb you."

"You can't stay here," Steve pointed out to her. He'd long learned allowing Mary to stay was an invitation for her staying indefinitely. If she moved her stuff in, she might never leave.

"Wasn't asking too," Mary shrugged with a shake of her head. "I'm staying at a friend's."

"How long are you back for?" Steve asked, pouring himself a coffee. The bliss of sex was receding too fast and that was disappointing.

"I don't know, thought I'd stick around for a while," Mary told him as he sat down. "After all, I am about to become an aunt. So is he still your surrogate if you're sleeping together?"

"Mare," Steve said with a groan. If he was honest, he had no idea what it meant now, but he wasn't going to back track. Sleeping with Danny, getting that close to him had felt right. Danny had been right, it was the best sex he'd had in a long time.

"What? I'm just curious," Mary rolled her eyes at him. "How long you been sleeping together anyway? Does he live here now or something?"

"He moved in a few months ago because his apartment building is getting torn down. He's still looking for a place but this arrangement suits the both of us right now. And as for sleeping together, well that's none of your damned business."

"Touchy much?" Mary sighed, sitting back and scrunching her nose at him.

"Well it isn't," Steve shook his head at her.

They both glanced up, hearing the tell-tale creaking of floorboards above from the guest bathroom. It was an old familiar sound of their home. Steve sighed, wishing Danny had slept longer and dreading the moment he came downstairs. He should go warn him Mary was present and went to stand, Mary giggling at him in amusement.

"Getting a second wind bro?"

"Shut up."

~

Steve didn't like it. Danny and Mary hit it off within ten minutes of being introduced. Mary had decided breakfast was the perfect time to begin telling Danny Steve's childhood secrets, breaking the sacred bond of siblings; every stupid, embarrassing, cringeworthy memory she had stored in that silly head of hers. He gripped tighter onto the knife in his hand and listened to them laughing as he chopped up fruit for Danny's breakfast. Making Danny breakfast, that had become a habitual. Danny was currently craving tinned peaches, but Steve mixed in other fruit as well.

"Oh please tell me that isn't true," he heard Danny snort, rolling his eyes as he dropped the chopped fruit into a bowl and picked it up.

When he turned around, Danny and Mary were laughing so hard they could hardly catch their breaths. He set the bowl down a little harder than necessary in front of Danny and took a seat beside him.

"So how long are you sticking around this time?" he asked Mary pointedly.

Mary grinned and shrugged, sitting back and tossing her hair. "Couple of months I guess, won't be long until the baby is here. It'd be nice to be here for that."

"You're sticking around for two months?" Steve said, eyebrows raising. "Believe it when I see it."

It was Mary's time to pout, screwing up her nose at him. "Very funny. anyway, I'm curious how _you_ are going to cope with fatherhood. That alone is worth sticking around for. Do babies come with built in bullet proof vests or do you have to have them tailor made?"

"I'm taking paternity leave for the first year or so," Steve pointed out to her, bristling at the snide remark. They never were able to hold a civil conversation longer than a few minutes without get snarky at each other.

"Ha, I'll believe _that_ when I see it," Mary shot back at him with a roll of her eyes. "You, stepping back from your career for a year, to take care of a baby."

"You would find that hard to believe," Steve said, getting into the flow of the usual back and forth between them. "It's beyond your imagination taking on that kind of responsibility."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mary snapped, sitting forward and glaring at him.

"Oh come on Mare, you can't hold down a job for longer than six months, can barely take care of yourself," Steve replied, moving forward himself. "You couldn't possibly get your head around looking after someone else, never mind a baby."

"And you think you're so perfect?" Mary exclaimed, waving a hand at him. "With your issues?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve replied, feeling his hackles rising. They were in full flow now, voices raised, rubbing at each others sore spots with incessant itching.

"Oh come on, it doesn't take a proffessional to know you have parental issues. Mom dying when we were kids, dad sending us hundreds of miles away because he didn't want us any more," Mary yelled back. "Aren't you scared that that kid is going to get to a certain age before you flip like dad? When you realize you can't do it alone and decide hell, I'll palm them off to the relatives."

"And you say I have issues," Steve shouted back at her. "Are you kidding me? You're a psychologists dream patient. You never forgave dad for sending us away. You couldn't even turn up for his funeral. Even if I did start struggling, and I know I will, I'm not that stupid - don't worry about getting a phonecall, you wouldn't be one of the relatives I'd be asking help from."

Mary pushed to her feet angrily, grabbing a bag she'd hung on the back of her chair. "You know what, screw you Steve. I came because I thought it'd be nice to see you after all this time, try and make up for stuff that's happened. But as always, you have to be the perfect one, the responsible one, reminding me just how I failed at my life, how disappointing I am compared to you."

"I don't have to do any of that, you do that to yourself," Steve said, sitting back and raising his hands innocently. "This mean you aren't sticking around."

Mary glared at him before turning on her heel and walking out without a reply. There was a long awkward pause of silence before the front door slammed. Steve blinked at the empty doorway, it had been an intense few minutes. He looked beside him to where Danny had witnessed the whole event in silence, munching on his fruit.

"Sorry," he muttered quietly, realising it had been quite a scene.

Danny swallowed a peach slice and grinned, licking juice off his fingers. "Don't be. Closest I've gotten to feeling like I'm back home in Jersey in a long time. I like her, she's spunky."

"Spunky?" Steve said, sitting back and shaking his head at him. "Really?"

Danny laughed again, turning his attention back to his dwindling food, gazing at the bowl. "Are there any more peaches?"


	11. Chapter 11

Danny hit the buzzer outside of the main gate to Rachel's home, waiting the few seconds it took for someone to answer and let him in. He dawdled up the drive to the front door as Rachel opened it, giving him a smile. Through the marriage, divorce and custody battles, they'd found some civil ground and Rachel had invited him over to talk and catch up. He had so much free time these days that he'd taken her up on the offer.

They sat down by the pool with refreshments and after some small talk, she settled a determined gaze on him. Danny knew that look, meant she wanted to talk serious.

"Not long until the baby comes," She said slowly, a small smile before she got to the point. "Have you decided what will happen afterwards?"

"In what way?" Danny asked, taking a sip of the iced lemonade that had been provided.

"Well you've been living with the Commander for a few months now Danny," she shrugged lightly. "But don't you think you're getting too settled? Are you even looking for a new apartment?"

"I'm looking but it's the same old same old," Danny pointed out to her. "Too expensive, dirty, bad neighbourhoods. If it were for me I'd not care so much, but they aren't the types of places I want our daughter living in."

"Things can't be that bad Danny," Rachel rolled her eyes. "You aren't on that bad a wage."

"Right now I am," Danny retorted. "I'm on paternity money now and I've still got bills to pay."

"Is that a little dig at having to pay money for your daughter," Rachel said and Danny shook his head with a sigh.

"You know I don't begrudge paying my fair share for Grace," Danny said raising a hand to keep the peace. "Right now, living with Steve is working out."

"But when the baby comes Danny," Rachel said, gently again as she leaned forward. "What then? You can't stay indefinitely."

Danny shifted in his seat. He hadn't had time to understand or figure out just exactly was going on between him and Steve. Complications he knew would arise were something he didn't want to think about. He just wanted to enjoy what they had right now.

"Things are a little complicated right now," he said quietly. "Might be the case that I don't have to move out."

"Oh Danny," Rachel said in surprise, shaking her head and sitting back. "Don't tell me you two are-."

"I'm not sure what we are right now," Danny replied. He honestly didn't.

"Don't you think things are complicated enough, difficult enough without adding a relationship to the situation?" Rachel said, she wasn't being accusing though. More like a concerned friend than anything.

"How do you mean?" Danny frowned, brow furrowing.

"Well, you're having his baby," Rachel pointed out. "But you're only the surrogate Danny. It isn't _your_ baby, it's his. When the baby comes, that's who his focus will be on. How will you fit into the picture then? You won't be the father, you'll be the boyfriend. And you know how much of a strain we went through after Grace was born, we muddled through somehow, got along quite well for five years, but we were married. You barely know this man. Will he have time to give you what you need as well as learn what it is to be a parent?"

Danny didn't reply. It was like she had reached into him, past an invisible barrier where he'd been storing up those scary, personal questions he'd not been asking. Denial was a powerful emotion.

Rachel smiled again, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "I'm sorry. I know it's hard to hear, but you know me, we've never been afraid to tell each other the difficult things. I was concerned about you being a surrogate, but I knew you'd cope with the emotional impact it would have on your life. But this, I'm not so sure you'll pull through like you hope to and I don't want to see you hurt."

Danny still didn't reply, averting his gaze to look out over the pool, the warmth of her hand still holding his reminding him of some happy memories they made over the years.

"Of course I could be wrong," Rachel said after a long silence. "You deserve to be happy and if you think you two could be happy together, then you should at least try. But I just want you to be sure it's the right thing for you. Once the baby is born, you'll go back to your life as it was before. How will he fit in then? If you think about it, it isn't that far ahead either."

"I know," Danny nodded, looking back at her with a soft smile. "I hear what you're saying Rache, I do. I know there's stuff I need to talk about with Steve and we'll have to do that sooner rather than later."

~

"Hey," Steve smiled as Danny strolled through the doors at HQ. It had been a quiet week, the team were catching up on paperwork and filing. At least they were supposed to be when not playing pacman on the computer table. Kono was currently kicking ass as Chin tried to distract her.

"Pacman? Really?" Danny smirked as he paused beside them, giving a wave at the monitors above showing Kono's progress.

"We're taking a break brah," Kono said without looking at him.

"Hi Danny, how's things?" Chin asked, giving him an appraising eye.

"Can't complain," Danny said patting the baby bump. "Not long now."

"Everything okay?" Steve asked him as Danny drew him away from the other two with a hand on his arm.

"Yeah just wanted to see if you wanted to do lunch or something," Danny said quietly.

"Can do," Steve nodded. He gave him a broad smile, looking eager and happy. Danny felt something dip inside, low in his gut and he couldn't quite return the eagerness. His conversation with Rachel had left him worrying that they were doing the right thing. Steve told the others they were going for lunch and they headed out, making small talk until they pulled in at a beach cafe that Danny knew Steve knew did his favourite steak sandwiches. Danny thought it was nice having someone care about knowing so much about him and eased out of the car, it was getting more and more difficult and he moved at a slow waddle now. They grabbed a table outside in the shade, quickly put in their orders and were finally alone.

"So what's up?" Steve asked, looking at him closely.

Danny cocked a look at him with a small frown, it was disarming knowing Steve read him so well.

"I just wanted to talk," Danny shrugged, taking a sip of his ice cold lemonade he'd ordered.

"About?" Steve encouraged, leaning closer to him. They were sat more or less side by side and Danny wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but instead he gripped the arms of his chair.

"Our relationship," Danny said after a short pause, glancing at Steve warily.

Steve looked at him carefully and moved back, as if getting into a protective zone. "You're having regrets?"

Danny let out a sigh and shrugged again, glancing down at the baby bump. "I won't deny wanting a relationship with you, but I'm just wondering if we're making a huge mistake."

"That isn't how you felt this morning before I left for work," Steve reminded him with a shake of his head. "What's changed?"

"I've had time to think," Danny said quickly, hearing the hurt in Steve's tone. He rubbed at the baby bump and looked at him. "Things are complicated Steve, they are going to get even more complicated when the baby is born."

"How?" Steve asked angrily, keeping his voice low. "Things are only as complicated as we make them Danny."

"Yeah well we've definitely thrown some cogs into the works," Danny snapped back. "Look I'm not saying this to hurt you or because I don't want you-."

"Then what is it?" Steve said quickly, "What is this?"

"I don't know," Danny said shaking his head. "That's the problem. I don't know what _this_ is. I don't know where we're headed, if it will go anywhere. What happens when the baby comes? Do we still date? What will I be to her? The man who gave birth to her but not her father, just the man her father has a relationship with? What happens if we break up - I lose both of you. I don't even know if you want me involved after she's born, we've never talked about that. Some people don't want the surrogates involved you know? They think it's weird."

Steve didn't have a chance to reply as their food arrived. The waiter laid down the plates and left them to an awkward silence. Steve pushed a few fries around his plate before sitting back again with a heavy sigh.

"Okay I get it," he said softly. "It is complicated when you look at it that way. I guess we do have things to talk about. But there's a few things I want to clear up. Even if things hadn't developed the way they have between us, I want you involved after she's born Danny. I like you, we've become friends and I want her to know where she comes from. I want her to know your involvement to understand how important you were in giving me this amazing - _gift_. Giving me something I've wanted in a long time. I think it's important she understands that as she grows up. As for us, well like I said, I felt something for you from the moment I lay eyes on you. That has to mean something. I don't know what will happen, nobody does. I want to date you, I'd like to have a relationship with you. Even after the baby is born I want to be with you. I know it will be hard then, because she'll be my life but you understand that, Grace is your life. But just because you're a father, doesn't mean you can't be in a relationship Danny, you must realize that."

Danny nodded in agreement, glancing at Steve. "It'll be hard you know? She'll take up you're time, everything will revolve around her."

"But that doesn't mean I have to sacrifice everything else in the process," Steve shook his head. "It'll be tough but I'd like to think you're the type of person who'll fight for something if he wants it enough. I know I want that."

"You really want this to work between us don't you?" Danny said, locking eyes with him.

Steve grinned, sitting forward and taking one of his hands and gripping tightly. "Yeah, I really do. I've not felt like this about anyone else and I don't want this feeling to end."

"I swear you break my heart I'll come after you McGarrett," Danny teased with a watery smile.

"Don't threaten me in front of my daughter Williams," Steve smirked.


	12. Chapter 12

"Surprise!"

Danny got such a fright walking in the door that the baby kicked violently and made him flinch. Steve was equally surprised as he followed him in the door. The entire house looked like it had had a makeover, streamers, decorations and bunting was strewn everywhere, balloons, presents; lots and lots of pink. Everyone they knew seemed to be packed into the room, Kono, Chin, Rachel and Stan, Grace who hopped madly from one foot to the other. Max, Charlie, Kamekona, Mary, some of the guys from HQ and some of the parents they'd met at prenatal classes. Everyone was cheering and applauding as they entered, officially the baby shower had begun.

Kamekona had the large grill going on the lanai and the dining table was laden with food and drinks. Danny and Steve worked the room before they were pushed down onto the sofa to open presents. Danny grabbed his drink and drinksat back with a grin as Grace held out a present to Steve.

"It's your baby babe," Danny grinned with a shrug. "You get to open the presents."

Grace settled on Danny's knee and smiled as Steve opened her gift, revealing a tiny white dress full of layers and frills and a pink bow. It was the cutest thing he'd ever seen but it was strange to think in a few weeks a little person would be wearing it.

"Aww Grace it's too cute," Steve cooed pulling her over to him with a hug.

"You're welcome Uncle Steve," Grace laughed. Steve pulled her under his arm as more presents were handed over. 

"Help me open the others," Steve suggested and together they dived through paper and bags to reveal more gifts. 

Baby clothes, bottles, a steriliser, gift tokens for baby stores. Danny laughed as both Steve and Grace dissolved into coos and aw's when Rachel and Stan presented them with a moses basket and Steve was taken aback with surprise when Chin and Kono wheeled in a baby stroller. It was the kind that active parents used so they could run at the same time and Danny laughed at how well Steve's team knew him. Though he wasn't sure Steve understood just how exhausting parenthood was going to be.

"And this is for you brah," Chin said, handing Danny a package. Danny was surprised and opened it to reveal a large bottle of Jack Daniels, laughing in response.

"You deserve something after the last nine months," Chin grinned, making him laugh again.

"Thanks man, it's definitely something to look forward too," Danny agreed.

"That is if I don't get to it first," Steve teased.

"Uh uh," Danny told him firmly. "This is my reward babe."

"Have you decided on a name yet Uncle Steve?" Grace asked as they sat back, looking over the gifts again. She rested her head on his shoulder and played with the button on his shirt.

"No not yet Grace," Steve replied with a shake of his head. "I've got a few ideas, but no favourites."

"How'd you decide on my name Danno?" Grace asked, looking over to him.

Danny gave her a smile, reaching out to brush his hand over her blonde hair, pinching her cheek.

"You were named after a very special lady," Danny informed her. "An old partner of mine back in Jersey. She was a real nice person. A good person. She would have loved you."

"Something happen to her?" Grace asked and Danny nodded, a sadness in his eyes that Steve picked up on. 

"Yeah something bad," Danny told her. "But nothing you need to worry about. You just need to know she was a good woman, kind of person you would have looked up to."


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey you okay?" Steve asked, coming up behind Danny as he slowly undressed. "You've been quiet all evening."

"Nervous for tomorrow," Danny admitted. They were all set to head to the hospital in the morning. Hopefully by the same time the next night, the baby would be with them.

"Anything I can do to help?" Steve asked, putting his arms around him. Danny smiled and leaned back against him.

"Promise me everything will be all right," Danny said quietly.

"Everything will be fine Danny," Steve assured him. "We've got a good team working with us, they do this kind of thing all of the time."

"I don't just mean the delivery tomorrow," Danny sighed, resting his hands over Steve's and holding tight. "I mean between us."

"Why do you think I'm going to abandon you as soon as they baby comes?" Steve whispered against his ear.

"Just don't want to lose you," Danny said just as quietly. 

"You won't," Steve promised, pressing a kiss to his neck. "You're not going to. You'll have the c-section tomorrow, you'll be kept in the hospital for recovery and then you'll be coming back home. Of course I can't promise things won't be different around the house by then, but you already know that. You'll still have a place here though."

Danny smiled, he knew exactly that. He just didn't think Steve was prepared for how much change, but it amused him to know Steve was going to be thrown somewhat out of his depth. He'd get along fine, it would just take time to find his feet with the baby. Danny remembered when Grace was born, his entire world had been shifted into some new dimension. He wouldn't go back and change a thing, even if it felt every day he was no longer in control.

Steve gave him a squeeze and helped unbutton the rest of his shirt, pulling back to roll it off his shoulders. "Come to bed. I want to enjoy having you to myself one last time."

~

The next day passed in a a blur. Everything seemed to speed up and Steve wasn't sure when he'd been knocked flat on his ass as everything kept revolving. He'd been to countless appointments, gone over the process a hundred times with the medical team and Danny but he still felt out of his depth. They'd arrived on time, the nerves and anxiety had set in and he'd had to bury them deep, draw on every ounce of training in him to be strong and confident for Danny. 

It wasn't as scary in the operating room as he'd expected. The team had made it as calm and welcoming as possible, even putting some soothing music on in the background as noise as they prepped Danny. Danny had had the choice of going under for the surgery but he'd been awake through Grace's delivery and wanted to be there when Steve met his daughter. He was given a regional anesthetic before they set up the screen and got ready to begin.

Steve was surprised and even relieved that Danny was so calm, even though he'd been nervous himself the night before. Danny grinned up at him from the bed and took his hand. "Everything's going to be fine babe. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt remember. Plus you promised me everything would be fine."

"How are we feeling Danny?" Their midwife, Leilani asked coming to his other side.

"Not feeling anything anymore," Danny smiled as the anesthetic kicked in. 

"Well we're about ready to start, shouldn't be long now. Steve you can watch as much or as little as you like."

Steve screwed his nose a little and looked at Danny who gave a small laugh. They'd watched some male birthing videos together though they were all very similar because of the caesarean procedure and it was pretty gross until the baby was pulled out. He took Danny's hand and stood his ground. Even the super SEAL had his limits.

The team worked quickly, Danny mostly unaware of what point they were at aside from Leilani talking them through it. Steve held on to his hand tightly as the team worked to get to the baby.

"Steve she's about to come out," Leilani informed him softly and Danny gave his fingers a squeeze and glancing down. His view was skewed by the screen but he didn't want Steve to miss it.

Steve edged a little downwards, trying not to think of the view as some sort of zombie massacre. It reminded him of that scene in Alien when it exploded out of John Hurts body. Maybe he'd tell Danny later, after everything was over. He was sure Danny would find it hilarious in less nerve wracking circumstances. He watched the doctor delve in with both hands, giving a small wince before he withdrew them, pulling something out with him.

For a moment Steve was utterly mesmerised (as well as slightly grossed out), his view got interrupted as the team dived in to clean her up, but he'd spied the tiny creature that had emerged. The first glimpse of his daughter and it knocked him for six. Between bodies, bustling hands and bumping shoulders he could see a tiny foot kicking in the air. Then she was lifted away to be cleaned up and he was left standing, swaying on his feet wondering just what had happened to knock the world off it's axis.

"Did you see her?" Danny asked, pulling him back to reality.

Steve nodded numbly, moving back beside him and leaning against the bed trying to focus. A tiny high pitched whine interrupted the soothing music and he looked up to see Leilani turning towards them with something in her arms. She came around the bed and suddenly he had this person, this tiny little being in the crook of his arm, wrapped in a blanket. Her skin was a purplish blue which he was sure wasn't normal and she still had some gunk in her hair which was a mad mop of black. Her eyes were shut tight, her cheeks slung back and she was screeching to make her lungs heard. 

Steve hadn't seen anything so perfect, so utterly fascinating in his entire life. And he hadn't felt so in love with something or someone before like he did right at that moment. It was overwhelming and all he could do was stare in absolute wonder at this creation he was holding. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to Danny, not sure what to say as he showed her off. What could he do or say to this man who had given him this most precious gift?

"Congratulations," Leilani said with a smile, patting him on the arm. 

He bent down near Danny who was eager to see her himself, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"She's perfect," he said as Danny got a look at her, lifting a finger and having it grasped by her tiny five digits. "Thank you Danny."

"So, you decided on her name yet babe?" Danny asked, feeling his voice cracking as he looked at her. This little being he'd protected for nine months within himself.

"Beth, her name is Beth," Steve said with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

Danny was kept in the hospital a few days for recovery. It was strange, the transition from pregnancy back to normal life. Strange that he didn't have to nurse or interact with the baby he'd carried for the last nine months. Steve had been able to take the baby home the day after the delivery and Danny wondered how he was coping at home alone. It would definitely be a test. Meanwhile he was recovering well, there was some pain and discomfort but he remembered it all from when he'd had Grace. He'd be back on his feet in no time.

Steve phoned a couple of times a day and visited on the evenings, even though Danny assured him he didn't have to. A baby was a full time commitment but Steve assured him Beth was in safe hands. Between Kono and Chin, who'd done their fair share of babysitting over the years, Steve couldn't think of safer people for her to be with for an hour or so for the days Danny was in the hospital.

"I'll bring her with me tomorrow," Steve promised the first evening, leaning over the bed and kissing Danny on the brow.

"No, don't," Danny said, playing with the buttons of Steve's shirt. "She's just gotten out of this place, don't subject her to a visit."

He smiled and Steve laughed, shaking his head at him. "I think she misses you already."

Danny rolled his eyes at him and gave him a poke, "She'll be missing her daddy. How are you coping?"

"It's like my entire world's been turned upside down," Steve sighed, leaning against him. Danny smiled, putting an arm around his shoulders and they held each other quietly. 

"I know exactly how you feel," Danny assured him.

Some days later he was discharged, much to his relief, though he still had lots of recovery to go through at home. But he wanted to be home and not stuck in a hospital bed night and day. He packed up the bag he'd arrived with and planned to call a cab to take him home so he was surprised when Steve appeared in his room.

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked in surprise as Steve moved towards him. "Who has Beth?"

"Her Auntie Mary is taking care of her for an hour or so," Steve informed him with a grin, putting his arms around him. "You ready to go?"

"I would have caught a cab," Danny began to point out again but Steve silenced him with a soft, gentle kiss.

"You kidding?" Steve asked as he pulled back with a gentle hum of enjoyment. "I'm bringing you home myself."

"Thank you," Danny smiled, giving him a squeeze. He looked at him closely, a tell-tale tiredness in Steve's eyes. It was hard adjusting to life with a baby, Danny could relate.

Steve picked up his bag and put his hand around his shoulders as they walked out together. Danny lay his head on his shoulder, liking the closeness. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Steve replied eagerly.

"Yeah right, you'll have been too busy playing daddy to have missed me that much," Danny teased playfully as they headed out into the warm sunshine.

Steve sighed heavily and gave a small yawn, "It is hard this parenting business. I should have visited more often than an hour or so a day Danny."

"Steve, you have other things to deal with," Danny told him as they reached Steve's truck. "Don't worry about it."

"I'll make it up to you," Steve said, looking guilty as he got Danny into the truck. He paused before he closed the door. "Not sure how but I will."

Danny smiled and reached out for him, pulling him close. He cupped Steve's face with his hands and looked at him carefully.

"What's she like?"

Steve's face broke into a smile which warmed Danny through his entire being. Seeing that look on another persons face reminded him why he had chosen to be a surrogate in the first place. Every time he asked Steve about Beth his face lit up with that look and it reached a place deep down inside Danny, reminding him it was how he felt about his own daughter.

"Perfect," Steve said after a pause. "Just this perfect little person Danny. I look at her and I'm like, how do you even exist? How did part of me make her? I can't get my head around it."

Danny laughed and pulled him in for a kiss, peeling away and giving him a push. "Take me home please, I want to meet her properly."

Steve pulled away eagerly, closing the passenger door and getting into the drivers seat. "She's amazing you know. Sleeps a good five or six hours between feeds, doesn't cry apart from when she's hungry. My god diaper changing is honestly the most disgusting thing I've ever done in my life, and I can tell you, I've done gone through some grizzly moments. But man, how does such a little person create so much -."

"Shit?" Danny laughed with a nod. Yeah he remembered Grace's dirty diapers, some were quite frankly created by aliens.

"Mary thinks I spoil her because I want to hold her all of the time, she likes it when you sit on the rocking chair and cradle her. And the mobile Grace chose for the room sends her right off to sleep."

Danny smiled and lay back in his seat, closing his eyes as he listened to Steve prattle on about Beth. It was nice, hearing him talking so enthusiastically and he let the words drift over him as Steve drove them home. He didn't know what would happen over the next few months, if things would work out for them. He knew they'd have to work at it every day and that it wouldn't be easy as Steve dealt with full time fatherhood. But somehow Danny knew it would all turn out right, that they'd make it through the other side despite their own worries and fears and everyone else questioning if it was the right thing to do.

Maybe, in their future, they'd make a baby that belonged to the both of them.

~fin~


End file.
